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Federal Crime to Interfere with Drone & Pilot

Mechrya

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Thought I would make this clear for anyone who has questions about it. A “UAS” is comprised of 3 parts. The aircraft, the controller, and the pilot. When the aircraft is flying in FAA airspace which is everywhere in the US below 400 feet it is illegal to interfere with any of those 3 entities. Needless to say you need to be following the rules as a pilot yourself but if you are in complete compliance and someone interferes with you, your controller, or your aircraft it is the same crime as interfering with a commercial airliner.F0A80ABB-8143-4637-8D93-368C54F5022E.jpegC2CC2045-3B6E-4C21-9F9F-8AE2739A3A92.jpeg
 
Someone needs to print that on the back of a Tshirt or vest. If some crazy person, as we see from time to time here, decides to interfere with a drone pilot while flying, he/she could face federal charges.
someone in these forums, posted a "flyer" with similar wording a few months ago. i downloaded a PDF then asked a friend to print me copies, after they read it they refused to. the pdf got lost in the fracas of windows and apples
 
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In Oregon there are also civil penalties for interference with UAS operations...
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ORS 837.375 Interference with an unmanned aircraft system

In addition to any other remedies allowed by law, a person who intentionally interferes with, or gains unauthorized control over, an unmanned aircraft system licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, or operated by the Armed Forces of the United States as defined in ORS 352.313 (Status of members of Armed Forces and certain federal agencies), an agency of the United States or a federal, state or local law enforcement agency, is liable to the owner of the unmanned aircraft system in an amount of not less than $5,000. The court shall award reasonable attorney fees to a prevailing plaintiff in an action under this section. [2013 c.686 §14; 2015 c.315 §10]

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These type of rules and policies needs to be publish more and more so the general public needs to know this. Yes, these are toys but also can injury someone if someone crazy try to crash it and God forbid, the aircraft come down in someone's head or windshield car.
 
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Hey guys, great post. I was doing a little digging on this matter as well and wanted to point you to this: 1411. Interference With Flight Crew Members Or Flight Attendants -- 49 U.S.C. 46504

18 USC 32 may be more applicable when your drone has been shot down. 49 USC may be more applicable when someone is bothering you or one of the members of your flight crew.
IANAL but I don't think 49 USC 46504 would apply to drones as it begins with the phrase, "An individual on an aircraft..."
 
I'm also not a lawyer, but I would agree. That's why I looked more into 18 USC 32 which seems to lend itself to "don't (deleted by moderator) with UAS pilots while their drone is in the air".
Despite the enthusiastic posts in this thread, eager to have their drones classified as real planes, that's just not how it works.
Do they also want to have to sit an actual pilot's exam and comply with all the other obligations of owning and flying real planes?
 
Man, reading 18 USC 32, they don't even have to interfere with you (section A.5) but simply threaten to interfere with you (section C). Sometimes the government can implement legit laws!


Easy now... don't get too far down this rabbit hole. There is a BIG difference between interfering with a flight crew piloting a 747 coming in for a landing and harassing a UAS pilot flying a UAS that will auto fly/land. You can let go of the controls, walk away, take a drink, and who knows what else and the UAS will hover in place. At a certain point of no control the UAS will initiate Return to Home and Autoland. BIG DIFFERENCE!

The FAA will NOT be the people investigating an infraction of 18 USC 32. It goes to the FBI and they will determine if it's worth investigating and if so they will do the investigation and follow-up depending on current work load and priority/urgency. I can assure you that merely "interfering" with a UAS is going be be sub terrain level of urgency LOL.

Let's not misinterpret the meaning of ~18 US 32 to include UAS as it was not intended or worded to include UAS and rightfully not.
 
Easy now... don't get too far down this rabbit hole. There is a BIG difference between interfering with a flight crew piloting a 747 coming in for a landing and harassing a UAS pilot flying a UAS that will auto fly/land. You can let go of the controls, walk away, take a drink, and who knows what else and the UAS will hover in place. At a certain point of no control the UAS will initiate Return to Home and Autoland. BIG DIFFERENCE!

The FAA will NOT be the people investigating an infraction of 18 USC 32. It goes to the FBI and they will determine if it's worth investigating and if so they will do the investigation and follow-up depending on current work load and priority/urgency. I can assure you that merely "interfering" with a UAS is going be be sub terrain level of urgency LOL.

Let's not misinterpret the meaning of ~18 US 32 to include UAS as it was not intended or worded to include UAS and rightfully not.
Just curious why some parts of 18 USC 32 would apply to UAS's but others wouldn't? Back in 2016, the FAA confirmed that UAS are protected by 18 USC 32. Not trying to be an internet lawyer... just doesn't make sense to me that UAS aren't protected when the FAA said they were. Additionally, I get it that while they're covered, charges won't necessarily be filed against someone who violates it.

 
Just curious why some parts of 18 USC 32 would apply to UAS's but others wouldn't? Back in 2016, the FAA confirmed that UAS are protected by 18 USC 32. Not trying to be an internet lawyer... just doesn't make sense to me that UAS aren't protected when the FAA said they were. Additionally, I get it that while they're covered, charges won't necessarily be filed against someone who violates it.

You are right that the FAA has publicly stated that there are rules against interfering with an aircraft which protect drones and drone pilots. They use that to shrug off any fear or concern over RID allowing you and your drone to be easily located and tracked by anyone with a cell phone. Like drone pilots have the same protection as commercial airline pilots and have the option to only fly from "safe and secure areas" with fences, armed guards, surveillance etc.

But, just as BigA107 said, its a complete fantasy. The federal government, FBI, and US Attorney are not likely to be interested in garden variety stabbing or shooting of a drone pilot by a drunkard with a gun or a knife down at the local park. Such matters are more appropriately investigated and prosecuted by state authorities acting under state law.
 
VEEERRRYYY true! Additionally... I'm just being goofy at this point. IF someone is going to attack you... they obviously don't care about the laws. There's already laws against assault and murder.
 
Someone needs to print that on the back of a Tshirt or vest. If some crazy person, as we see from time to time here, decides to interfere with a drone pilot while flying, he/she could face federal charges.
You are right, but I hope you are not expecting enforcement of that law. We, as drone pilots, our second class citizens on the ground and in the USA (at least) sky.
 
Just curious why some parts of 18 USC 32 would apply to UAS's but others wouldn't? Back in 2016, the FAA confirmed that UAS are protected by 18 USC 32.
But did the FAA confirm that?
Does any part of 18 USC 32 apply to recreational drones?
Or is that just just what someone perceived and has spread?
The Forbes article you linked to doesn't do anything to confirm it.
 
Protected by whom? if someone talks to me or tackles me while flying a UAS who is going to prosecute it as a felony... for the pilot interruption not the assault.
 
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